The Eagles didn’t just get beaten in Chicago on Monday night. They got shown how familiar their offense already looks to the rest of the league.
That’s the problem with trying to sell a “new” version of the Shanahan/McVay system in 2026. What once felt fresh now shows up everywhere: wide zone, motion to dress it up, under-center play-action to keep linebackers honest. It’s still a sound NFL offense, but around the league, defenses have spent years seeing the same language over and over again.
Philadelphia hired Sean Mannion after the 2025 offense went stale under Kevin Patullo, and Nick Sirianni interviewed 17 candidates before landing on a 33-year-old former quarterback in Year 3 of his coaching career. Mannion played for McVay and coached under Matt LaFleur, with the hope that he would modernize the attack and better marry the run game to the pass.
Instead, the Eagles have an offense that ranks near the bottom in play-action rate, leans heavily on 11 personnel because the tight ends are either hurt or not good enough, and still seems to hit a wall at some point during the 60 minutes.
That showed up in the 27-7 loss to the Bears. Philadelphia produced the worst EPA per drive of the Sirianni era and then vanished after halftime.
Saquon Barkley looked like himself for one half before Dennis Allen adjusted and the offense stalled out, sliding into looks T.J. Edwards had already seen enough to feel right at home against.
Mannion keeps saying the Eagles are “close" while he is learning on the job in public, and Monday night made that learning curve impossible to ignore. The matchup was nationally televised, and the Bears were starting Case Keenum.
Jalen Hurts is being pushed into a different kind of role, with more middle-of-the-field throws, more under-center work and more patience. But the protection in front of him is no longer a strength, and some of the pieces that used to make the whole thing hum are either missing or still adjusting.
The bigger issue is that the league has caught up to this family of offense. Defensive coordinators have spent the last four offseasons studying outside zone, jet motion and the naked boot.
They know the tells. They know the fake.
They know when the weak-side run is coming.
The teams that keep succeeding with this system are the ones that keep changing it. Philadelphia is still trying to learn the original version.
That doesn’t make the season over at 2-1. Talent can still cover for schematic lag, and Hurts can still win with his legs and his deep-ball ability.
But the idea that the Eagles were going to jump the rest of the league by hiring a young McVay disciple was always a long shot. Too many defenses already have the answers. Monday night in Chicago just made that obvious.
In Other News...
Eagles Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Night
The Eagles 27-7 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football looked bad on the surface, and the details only made it harder to dismiss. Philadelphia gave away the ball three times, drew 10 penalties and spent much of the night chasing Chicagos passing game, with the Bears finding steady answers through the air. For a team trying to stay on track, it was the kind of performance that turns one rough result into a much bigger conversation.
A few individual efforts still stood out, with DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley providing some of the few bright spots on an otherwise frustrating night. But the struggles of players such as Marcus Epps and Andy Dalton only added to the sense that this was more than an off game, especially for a defense that could not settle in against Case Keenums rhythm. The loss left the Eagles looking for answers in a hurry, because the issues exposed here went well beyond one bad evening. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Gave Eagles Fans A Major Scare On One Brutal Hit
Jalen Hurts gave Eagles fans a jolt on Monday night when he took a heavy hit from Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson and went down near the sideline during the game in Chicago. The moment briefly shifted the focus away from the scoreboard and onto Philadelphias quarterback, with Hurts heading to the medical tent for a concussion evaluation before the Eagles could fully exhale.
Hurts was eventually cleared and returned to the game, easing the immediate concern for a team that could ill afford to lose its starter in a prime-time matchup. Chicago had already grabbed an early lead on Case Keenums touchdown pass, so the sequence only added to an uneasy start for Philadelphia, which had to keep playing while its most important player was being checked out. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Siriannis Sideline Outburst Started With One Alarming Eagles Moment
The moment that set off Nick Siriannis sideline reaction came in the middle of a rough night for the Eagles on Monday Night Football, when Jalen Hurts took a hit that sent him into a concussion evaluation. Cameras caught Sirianni yelling at Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson in the aftermath, a flashpoint that stood out even more in a lopsided 27-7 loss for Philadelphia.
Sirianni later apologized for his language and said he regretted the way he handled himself, a notable admission from a coach whose sideline intensity has long been part of the package. For the Eagles, the bigger concern remains the health of Hurts and the larger fallout from a game that went sideways quickly, but the sideline scene added another layer to an already frustrating night. [Read more 🡒]